We’ve updated our Terms of Use to reflect our new entity name and address. You can review the changes here.
We’ve updated our Terms of Use. You can review the changes here.

Smoke from the Well

by Them Damn Hamiltons

/
  • Streaming + Download

    Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    Purchasable with gift card

      $10 USD  or more

     

  • Hand-printed CD Wallet and Insert with Lyrics
    Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album

    Printed on recycled kraft paper with a screen-printed cover by our very own Dan Hamilton! Artwork and design by Parker Hu and Dan Hamilton, photography by Mike Marques.

    Includes unlimited streaming of Smoke from the Well via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.

    Sold Out

1.
this dirty town’s my home and it’s built on foam and loam but I’d rather be out on the sea a-sailin’ I won’t stay another day and it’s time to earn my pay so I found the crimp and soon I was a-whalin’ we set out from County Cork for the old port of of New York lost our way at sea in a mighty gale the ocean whipped and sprayed that cold November day the wind, she beat our ship and tore our sails ships do come and go and as long as the ocean rolls we’ll fill our bellies up and stack our bowls ships do come and go and as long as the ocean rolls we’ll do just as we please and damn their souls I barely made it back with my old black gunny sack and Miss Judy Lee, she come right out to kiss me once the money’s flying, she’s in my ear a-sighin’ we toasted to the run with smoke and whiskey with my crusty old-time friends good Lord, how the money spends it goes as quick as anyone’s a-winking when the pay is all but gone and everything’s left in pawn there’s nothing left but water for a-drinking Miss Judy Lee a-leavin’ and my poor heart is a-grievin’ all I got here left are drinkin’ songs when the crimp comes back around I’ll sign up and take his pound I’ll be on the first boat sailing out at dawn
2.
Black Mariah 03:21
listen to the bell of the black mariah hell’s broke loose and the fat’s in the fire black wind blowing from the palace to the parlor brothers to the mothers and the fathers and the daughters, we run listen to the bell of the black mariah hell’s broke loose and the fat’s in the fire Puente’s boys running down from the chapel little black books with their own kind of gospel, we run who pays for the price of the air in the sky the same ones broke from being buried alive praying for our time, reclaim our home and sons but until then, we run listen to the bell of the black mariah devil’s out dancing on the old high wire General Franco marching through the valley black bandanas and cocktails in the alleys, we run listen the bell of the black mariah devil’s out dancing on the old high wire swords and rifles bringin’ all kind of evil Shrdlu’s fiddlin’ on top of the steeple, we run listen to the bell of the black mariah hell’s broke loose and the fat’s in the fire came to a head at the back of the station just in time for the king’s coronation, we run
3.
Tom looks up and sees a raven raven on the wings of night making shadow out of light Tom climbs up to kiss the raven pays no mind to thorn and bramble feathers more than he can handle Tom takes raven by the claw says show me how to fly around tell me that you never fall what’s it like to dive to the ground how can men like me look so small some birds only prey at night and think nothing at all of flight some men only live to die and never ask their killers why Tom finds words to sing to raven sees her with her feathers black reaches out to touch her back raven spreads her wings at the sound Tom goes tumbling back to the ground raven watches from the trees head cocked at his broken knees waiting for his final breath to feast on ordinary death
4.
sticks and stones and the old dry bones and your picture in my locket saints and sinners and the pickers and the grinners and a jack knife in his pocket she’s waiting for her man at the side of the road he’s waiting for the old blue van to explode holding up the freight with an old .38 but she can’t figure out how to cock it there’s smoke from the well and it’s coming from hell and the station bell’s a-ringing when the sun went down, they slept on the ground while the nooses did their swinging they ran from the cops through the back of the store both of their bodies mighty sore doing their best just to make it out west where the black flies do their stinging on the dusty floor of an old blue Ford there’s a blanket and a pillow they counted their haul, smoking menthol in all, about a half a kilo with the dogs out hunting for the couple of thieves they loaded up the van with bags of morphine hiding in the river with a mighty great shiver underneath the old grey willow when the dogs closed in, they were both pretty thin with a shot of midnight oil they smoked their hash and the rest of the stash, with nothing left to boil he held her close as tight as he could spectres waiting at the edge of the wood they found them cold in their old bed roll with blood as thick as soil
5.
I know it’s strange, but it’s true I’m a lot like you I look good with a glass when I’m feeling blue you, like me, don’t have a lot of friends but you’re there to be used, so they use you again you get me through the night you’re the right thing, the bright thing you make me feel awhirl and out of this world with delight when we’re out and we’re down at the bottom here’s to all my spirits spin the bottle you know my ma, so don’t tell her where I hid you in the cellar that you snuck into my room you know what she’ll do but when you look at me with those sweet amber eyes I melt and I drown under your disguise you’re right, I should quit while I’m behind all the quips, they say you’re not to blame it’s just that I’m the fool you little snitch, you little dog trying to make me look like I’m always wrong but you’re never sorry I guess we’ll be parting forever ...until noon
6.
Eastern Sea 03:24
I take my leave to the eastern sea because she won’t have me I saw her lips on another lover with his boat docked in her harbor he takes her and spins her round always to the beat of my heart as it pounds near the sliver of the door my hell is now bent on the whore her ghost crawls in my bed at night when moon is high and sleep is maddening her locket shines with glee looking back from the dresser at me ‘round her neck it should be hanging instead her treasure chest is a’swinging so I think of all the ways I can touch my Lydia with my hands Lydia, Lydia, you’re the most marvelous woman I’ve ever seen your golden locks will bury you at the bottom of the eastern sea I hope the hands fall off of her lover land on rocks and fields and farmers’ hounds will track down his scent bring him back and feed him to the pigs I am not a jealous man, but I am just all the same one day my darling Lydia shall be beneath me under the eastern sea
7.
Mary Speed 03:40
Mary lived in an old boxcar by the tracks pretty good hustler made her bread on the blackjack spent her nights out shootin dice in the parlor ‘til a black wind blew her old man in from Gilmer poor Mary he rolled into town looked around for his woman spent the last seven years in a West Virginia prison killed three men in a knife fight out behind the car shop now he’s huntin’ down the lady who turned him over to the cops poor Mary he found her in the trainyard drinking with some fellas from the depot a cold wind blew through the trees and an old dog moaned a piece of her red dress and a shoe was all that they found now her spirit’s gone haunting those lonely grounds poor Mary
8.
Caleb Meyer 04:22
Caleb Meyer lived alone in them hollering pines made a little whiskey for himself to help him pass the time one evening, in the back of my house, Caleb come around he called my name ‘til I went out with no one else around Caleb Meyer’s ghost is gonna wear them rattlin’ chains but when I go to sleep at night, don’t you call my name where’s your husband, Nelly Cane, where’s your darlin’ gone has he gone on down the mountainside and leave you all alone Yes, my husband’s gone to Bowling Green to do some business there then Caleb threw that bottle down and grabbed me by the hair he threw me in the needle bed, across my dress he lay he pinned my hands above my head and I commenced to pray I cried, my God, I am your child, send your angels down then feeling with my fingertips, the bottleneck I found I drew that glass across his neck, fine as any blade I felt his blood pour fast and hot around me where I laid
9.
well, the rounds have all been poured and there’s moonshine on the floor and the gypsies are out burning down the town the rats can have our bread ‘cause tomorrow we’ll be dead and the scarecrow he can have your wedding gown lay down, the hangman’s back in town the heart is underneath the floor stay down, can’t you hear the sound the wolves are howling at our door we’ll raise our broken bottles we’ll wet our wicked whistles and sing... we sin ‘cause it’s our choice and with one united voice we sing... well, the crows are on the wall and you can hear those axes fall and they’re tuning up their fiddles for tonight we sing because we must and we’ll dance until we’re dust we’ll rage against the dying of the light lay down, Old Scratch has come around there’s no use fighting any more stay down, the fields have all gone brown the sky’s gone dark forever more well our hearts are all tattooed and we’ll shout it from the roof and we sing... the rooster’s come to roost and all hell will soon break loose and we sing... like the winding of the sheet the wolves, they prowl the streets and we sing... we sin ‘cause it’s our choice and with one united voice, we sing...
10.
if I’ve got the world and the devil’s gonna sink it why stop with the girls or keep the choir singing I’m going to hell and there ain’t nothing you can do about it I once kissed a girl and told her that I loved her then I jumped a train to Mason while she waited at the altar I’m going to hell and there ain’t nothing you can do about it my sister says there’s hope for me but I can’t prove what she can’t see my pa says don’t you try and shed your godless ways on me I used to sing and pray and preach an angel child, I was ‘til I discovered misbehavin’s a hundred times more fun I’m going to hell and there ain’t nothing you can do about it so give me your best sell and tell me where you think you’re going ‘cause I see every man and woman living like they’re already gone I’m going to hell and there ain’t nothing you can do about it I never wondered why my prayers didn’t change the weather can’t blame me for not knowing ‘cause every chaplain lined their pockets on lesser fools like me but I caught a glimpse of heaven when I put my hands on my first gloria God didn’t strike me down right then, I figured if I’m gonna die I’m gonna die a freer man than he

credits

released March 1, 2016

license

all rights reserved

tags

about

Them Damn Hamiltons Connecticut

contact / help

Contact Them Damn Hamiltons

Streaming and
Download help

Report this album or account

If you like Them Damn Hamiltons, you may also like: